a blog of a clueless traveller.

„Bus?“ „- Le bus.“ „Children?“ „- Les enfants.“ „Car?“ „- La voiture.“ A girl with big dark sunglasses tries intently to identify the next word on the handwritten paper. „Des-Den-Dining room?“ „- La salle à manger.“ She turns the page and continues asking. The two girls, porbably between 20 and 21 years old, are sitting in deckchairs in the big well cultivated lawn, surrounded by the old fassade of the University of Vienna.

1. STOP: University of Vienna

Together with about 50 more students who are sitting in deckchairs, on the grass, on the stony chairs, on a bench in the shadow or at the coffeplace close to the entrance. Some of them starring in a book or some papers in front of them, others talking or having a quick lunch. It is a huge mess but still seems to be an organized prolific crowd. The inner yard of the University of Vienna is one of those places to study, doing homework or preparing group works at a sunny day. It has a special Harry Potter-flair, although Hogwards might be much bigger.

2. STOP: Public Library
Next stop of hour search for the best studying spot is the U6-, 6-, 18- and 48A-stop „Burggasse-Stadthalle“. Directly above the subway station a big modern building towers up: The Public Library of Vienna. Big outdoor stairs lead to the entrance of the building. People are sitting on thosr stairs, enjoying a view above the white canvas which protects the tram station from rain. Once entered the building and passed the many bookshelfs in the first floor, a wall of glass appears in the end of the corridor. In front of it: Students and guests of the library share big tables and expand with all their papers and books. Some others put their laptops on single desks. Each of them has an unique view above Neubaugürtel, the subway and Vienna’s sixtienth district though.

3. STOP: General Hospital
Real study freaks show up at the general hospital at 8am, follow the crowd and try to be first to snatch one of the chairs which are in great demand. Those who won the morning challenge will stay in their „cabin“ for quite a long time, some of them until midnight. Its just you, three walls around you and your books. No distraction at all. It is the perfect spot for those who get easily distracted by others and by their surroundings.

4. STOP: Coffeeshops
Coffeshops such as Starbucks (11 in Vienna) and Coffeshop Company (12 in Vienna) are predestinated as student spots: Free WIFI, big cups of coffee and the possibility of staying there for hours without annoying any waiters or other guests. But also unique local shops as blueorange in the ninth district, Latte Grande in the eighteenth district or Café Votiv in the first district are a welcoming place for students, providing WIFI and a special flair. It might even reflect the Viennese student’s life in a more local style. Sit down with books, laptop and papers and study all day long. Watching people or having small talks in between. It might not be as quiet as in a library, but still comfortable and more diversified.

1. Latte Grande: Daily breakfast buffet with hot and cold/ sweet and sour food, international appetizers, tea, coffee and juice for 6,90 € They also offer a brunch on Sundays, which is 10,90€ but it is pretty crowded then and not as comfortable as for a usual breakfast.

Währinger Gürtel 139, 1180 Wien

2.  Blaustern: Coffee is roasted directly by the the coffeeshop. They serve delicious food and partly take care of healthy ingredients. The atmosphere is quite crowded, but still very comfortable and enjoyable.

Döblinger Gürtel 2, 1190 Wien

3. Café Hawelka: Get your traditional Viennese coffee there but do not expect too much of an extensive breakfast. Concerning food it is used to the basics, but people are very special. It was used to be a get-together for well-known Austrian people from the literature and arts scene such as Andrè Heller, H.C. Artmann and Helmut Qualtinger. The waiter and the furniture apparently left from this age.

Dorotheergasse 6, 1010 Wien

4. Café Merkur: Huge breakfast plates from all different countries as from Greece, Italy and India for a little more than three Euro. It is a place for students and those who like artistic flair.

Florianigasse 39, 1080 Wien

5. Café Central: Once known as a get-together for Austrian personalities such as Arthur Schnitzler, Sigmund Freud, Peter Altenberg and Leo Trotzki, it still has its frisky architecture and interior design. It reminds a little on Sissi’s time in Schloss Schönbrunn.

Herrengasse 17, 1010 Wien